“We abandoned the machine guns, they are no longer useful”: in Ukraine, these interceptors which are revolutionizing anti-drone defense

Crouching in the courtyard, the soldier in a sweatshirt removes the plastic base of the minidrone, arms the explosive, and reassembles everything with quick, precise movements. The assembly took a few seconds. « C’est tout bon ! », he says. In the living room of the hut which serves as their position, the pilot, call sign “Artist”, places his tea on a table between two picot beds, sits down, turns on the screen of a tablet and grabs the controller. The tiny rocket emits a short electronic jingle then falls silent, ready to take off. There it is, this interceptor which is the envy of the Gulf countries. He neutralizes a Shahed drone five times its size in mid-flight. Since their deployment, just six months ago, on the Ukrainian front, these plastic rockets, printed in 3D, costing 1,000 to 3,000 euros per unit, have revolutionized anti-aircraft defense.

“That changed everything. We shoot down twenty-five to thirty drones per week. We even dropped the machine guns, they are no longer useful.”